Air ambulance accident rates

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Rates recently are 0.22 per 100,000 hours, so about 1/5 of GA. Large public payer, Medicare, driving demand, and large profits to be made apparently.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/921615

 

[Sac Arrow]

I'd read the article, but all I get is ads.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Sorry about that. I guess because it is a Medscape article you have to register to read it. That is free but I can understand if people don’t want to do that.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

The other thread is a link to the full article sans registration

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Ah, didn’t see that. https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/index.php?threads/Air-ambulance-review..122745

 

[DavidWhite]

Using your numbers, medevac is statistically much safer than the average accident rate. A completely useless article written by someone who really doesn’t understand what they are talking about with regards to accident rates.

https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=21274

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

It is safer than GA, but I suspect even non-aviation professional writers, such as the author of that article, compare to the accident rate for part 121 operations, which are much safer than GA or Medevac.

Certainly a risk benefit trade off in terms of getting to the hospital more quickly vs risk of a crash and cost.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

It is safer than GA, but I suspect even non-aviation professional writers, such as the author of that article, compare to the accident rate for part 121 operations, which are much safer than GA or Medevac.

Certainly a risk benefit trade off in terms of getting to the hospital more quickly vs risk of a crash and cost.

I know a couple of people that have had helicopter rides from accidents to the hospital, which they thought was cool, but perhaps not necesary (I live less than 1 nm from a major hospital, I see that bird several times a day.) I'm not sure how much time it can really save unless one is out in the boonies, so it seems they use it just to use it. I'm gonna ask to see if it shows up on their medical bills (I know our local ambulance, run by the township fire department, does not.)